Blue Jasmine Set in San Francisco and New York, this story of a woman who goes from fabulous wealth to destitution provides Cate Blanchett with her best role and represents another jewel in the crown of Woody Allen, who continues to experience a renaissance in his 70s. Rated PG-13. 98 minutes. - M. LaSalle

Captain Phillips Another entry in Tom Hanks' Americana series, this is an excellent film, directed by Paul Greengrass, about the abduction of a cargo ship by Somali pirates in 2009. Riveting, methodical and tense, with strong performances. Rated PG-13. 133 minutes. - M. LaSalle

In a World ... Lake Bell writes, stars in and directs this story of a young woman who wants to break into the voice-over business, in commercials and movie trailers, and the result is an engaging and funny debut feature that shows a filmmaker with freedom and good instincts. Rated R. 93 minutes. - M. LaSalle

Machete Kills This ultra-violent sequel to a film based on a fake trailer in "Grindhouse" is entertaining, but in a lazy and very inconsistent way. Even as you enjoy the over-the-top gore and deadpan comedy, the whole thing feels like paying $10 to stand behind some velvet ropes and watch much cooler people get drunk. Danny Trejo is a low-energy machete-wielding hero. Mel Gibson is excellent as the villain. Rated R. 107 minutes. - P. Hartlaub